


Bloodbound

by Versia



Series: Bloodbound [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Brainwashing, Child Abuse, Drug Use, F/M, Homelessness, Medical Conditions, Medical Experimentation, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Trauma, Mind Control, OC, Vomiting, War, blood transfusion, hivemind - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:20:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23818327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Versia/pseuds/Versia
Summary: Versia is a homeless girl from a dying planet who finds herself on Horde Prime's ship during his time attempting to acquire her planet for his empire. One of Prime's most trusted doctors discovers something strange in her blood and makes an unconventional treatment suggestion, prompting the two of them to make choices that will change their lives and the universe.Tagged for medical inaccuracies as this work involves fictional characters and species doing fictional and theoretical medical practices, plus I'm not a doctor!Tagged for non-con down the road, will add tags as I further develop the outline!This story is an ongoing work in progress, a fanfiction, and going to be factually inaccurate and canon divergent!
Series: Bloodbound [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716157
Comments: 11
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

“Versia.” The familiar woman behind the bar looked to the girl with wavy blond hair sitting at the other side of the polished wood counter. “You’ve had enough. You’re cut off.”

“No, you’re cut off.” The girl called Versia slurred, pointing a finger that couldn’t seem to stay on target. Instead the digit wandered through the air as she nearly lost her balance on the stool that was far too tall for her. She chugged what remained in the bottom of her glass and slammed it on the counter. “Another!”

“No Versia. Go. Home.” The woman told her coldly, taking the glass and placing it in a nearby sink.

“Wh-” She hiccuped, “What did you just say?”

“Crap,” The woman sighed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Did you just tell me to go home?” Versia’s voice was dry, cold. She let out a chilling laugh, other patrons turning to look in surprise at her. She stopped after moment and locked her pale blue eyes on the woman who now wore a terrified expression, unsure what the girl would do next. Had she finally snapped?

“Versia-” The woman wanted to try once more to apologize but was cut off once again.

“Nah. Maybe I should go back home. I’m sure if my parents are even still alive I’d fit right in, right?” She laughed once more, pulling herself off the stool. “Thanks, Alaya.”

“I didn’t-” Before she could finish her thought, Versia was out the door. Alaya looked at the counter sadly. “I didn’t say that.”

\-----

Versia stumbled through the streets of Neopraxa, mumbling incoherent thoughts to herself about Alaya, her parents, herself, anything really. She had no destination in mind. Of course she didn’t. Aside from making a quick buck from odd jobs and the bar, she hadn’t had a destination for several years now. How long had she been living here in the streets of this dying neon city now? She tried to count on her fingers, but they didn’t listen. They would not match the numbers in her head, on her lips, the ones she could not keep track of without the visual aid of her phalanges. Her frustration with the lack of cooperation in her hands was soon distracted by something else. A gentle glow begged for her attention and without a thought she gave it freely, walking crookedly towards the source. At the end of the street sat a threateningly large shape with various lights emitting all up and down it. When she grew closer somewhere in the back of her clouded mind she recalled the object from somewhere. Maybe a screen in the plaza, maybe a newspaper. She couldn’t remember for certain. What she did remember was that this was a ship belonging to some important figure who was looking to bring ‘hope’ and ‘liberation’ to the planet of Carthanium. 

“Yeah, right.” The girl hiccuped and laughed out loud. Suddenly, however, a wild hair dug itself into her head and for the first time she could remember she had a destination picked out. “I’m gonna give that guy a piece of my mind.”

As she grew close to the massive ramp that lead to the ship two men with head to toe armor became visible. Versia continued on, paying them no mind as she drew closer and closer to the place she was determined to go. Despite her lack of care for the men, however, they definitely cared about her presence. 

“Hey, you there! Stop!” One of them called out. She attempted to stop, but still stumbled some, nearly falling over.

“Or what?” She slurred out with a hiccup. Anticipating a problem, all three reached for their hips. The two guards of the grand ship placed their hands on what appeared to be batons with prongs at the ends while Versia placed hers on a knife clipped to her waist. 

“Turn around and leave.” One of the guards warned. 

“Ha, like Hell.” Versia laughed. In a single movement she drew the blade and flicked it open, charging recklessly at the guard to the left. The guard on the right drew his weapon just as soon as she did and just before she connected with his partner struck her with the pronged end, sending a wave of electricity through the girl’s body. Versia collapsed immediately before her would-be target, completely unconscious. 

“Can someone come detain a hostile at the entrance?” The man who had struck her called over the communications system inside his helmet as he knelt down beside the girl.

“On my way,” A voice called in response nearly immediately, “What’s the situation?”

He sniffed the air near the girl and felt his throat clench.

“Some girl charged at 302 with a bladed weapon.” He leaned to pluck the knife from the now unconscious girl’s hand effortlessly, holding it loosely by the blade between two metal covered fingers. “I used my baton to subdue her. She was stumbling and smells heavily of alcohol.”

“Roger. I’ll be there soon.” The voice responded.

\-----

When Versia awoke she found herself in a small completely white room with no furniture. Instead of a wall opposite of where she sat there was a strange green glowing barrier. Without warning the girl leaned forward on to her hands and knees and began to vomit violently, her throat and stomach instantly becoming coated in a burning feeling. A man identical to the ones who she’d faced earlier began to walk by the barrier when he stopped, noticing the pitiful sight in the cell. He took a closer look, squinting behind his helmet. 

“Hey, can I get some medical down in B3?” His voice called out over a radio. “The drunk hostile taken in by 301 and 302 is vomiting blood.”

Versia heard the man’s words and felt her heartbeat spike. Between her oral emissions she tried to force her eyes to focus on the puddle beneath her. Sure enough, the blur on the floor was a deep crimson. A pit formed in the center of her burning abdomen as she felt even more of the metallic fluid forcing its way out of her. 

“Oh no.” Panic crept its hands around her throat and squeezed the words from her as she gagged. It was all she could say before she collapsed in the puddle.

The guard who had been watching her rushed in through the barrier and quickly lifted her now blood covered face from the puddle, leaning her back up against the wall. Almost immediately after two more guards and a man in a white coat arrived, whisking the girl away. 

\-----

Versia sat upright suddenly from her unconscious state, quickly realizing she was no longer in the same white room from before. This room, while still completely white, had a bed she was apparently now sitting in. 

“B3 appears to be awake and blood work results have returned from the lab.” A man’s voice came from her left. She moved and felt a discomfort in her arm.

“What the Hell?” Versia asked, looking at the IV attached to her arm. She then turned towards the source of the sound. 

“What the HELL?” She was taken aback by the white skull like face with green eyes that stared back at her. “Oh God, I have to still be drunk.”

“Actually, according to the most recent analysis your blood alcohol content is now fairly low.” He glared at the girl. “Likely thanks to the fluids we were able to give you for your alcohol poisoning. You’re welcome.”

“I—” Versia wanted to say something snarky in return to his sarcasm, but found herself strangely lacking the words. Instead confusion of the situation filled her head and mouth. “Wait, how did I get here?”

“In your stupor you charged one of our guards at the entrance of our ship.” The man in white, who Versia could only assume was a doctor, explained. “You were subdued and detained, however while in our custody you—”

“I started throwing up blood, right?” She interrupted as the panic from earlier returned to her, bringing with it the former feeling of nausea.

“Yes.” He said sounding mildly frustrated at the interruption. “A guard found you awake and severely ill in your cell.”

Versia ran a hand through one of the longer blond locks at the right side of her face, noting the stiff feeling to them. A shiver shot through her body at the feeling.

“I gave you a slight clean up with some water and a towel but you’ll definitely need a proper washing after we’re done here.” He explained, observing the girl’s reaction. “You… Should also consider cutting back on drinking.”

“Why—” Versia was interrupted by a large figure suddenly entering the room. 

“Emperor Prime.” The doctor bowed to the man who had entered the room. “This is patient B3— Uhm—”

“Versia.” She said, seeing an in to return his sarcasm from earlier. “Thanks for asking.”

“This is the one who posed a threat to my guards? You’re either very brave or very foolish.” The man apparently named Prime scoffed, examining the girl from across the room. As he watched her she was watching him, taking note of his strange features. He had a face and body very similar to the doctor, though she noticed his jawline and cheekbones seemed sharper. Another thing she noted was the two extra eyes he had on the right side of his face. One just above what would be a ‘normal’ eye and one right below it. All four of them were focused on her as he walked closer and closer to her, the green hue becoming brighter the closer he came. Before she knew it he was practically leaning over her. 

“Admittedly, I think they may have overreacted.” The doctor told him. “She only had a single small blade, she posed no real threat.”

“Hey!” Versia piped up taking offense to the doctor’s remark. “You don’t know me or what I’m capable of.”

“In your current state, I’m fairly confident you’re not capable of much.” He said. “Especially with how drunk you were. You could barely hold yourself up.”

“W-what do you mean my ‘current state?’” The panic that had just began to settle from their previous conversation arising once more.

“This is what I wanted to speak to you about, sir.” The man turned to Prime with a small electronic tablet in his hand. “Her initial diagnosis was alcohol poisoning, which did definitely play a factor. Something else is going on though.” 

He made a swiping motion on the tablet’s screen which seemed to activate a screen on the wall a few feet past the end of the bed where Versia sat. The monitor displayed a silhouette of her body in white with text in a language she could not read. He made several other motions on the handheld device which seemed to prompt more information to appear on the screen. Suddenly a piece of her midsection on the monitor was glowing in orange.

“First, her species is one with a liver.” The doctor said. “It’s beginning to fail. It’s not completely done yet, but could see full failure soon if nothing is done. This is presumably, based on blood alcohol levels upon intake, due to excessive drinking. If she changes her habits or receives the treatments I have in mind, the damage could be undone. This isn’t the part to be terribly concerned for.”

Versia felt her heart drop as he prompted more information to appear. Before her eyes her entire body began to light up like the city she knew like the back of her hand on the screen. She swallowed hard as the doctor carried on.

“Her blood is poisoning her.” He said rather bluntly.

“What?” Both Versia and Prime spoke at the same time, looking to each other in surprise at the synchronization of their verbal confusion.

“Normally this would be a sign of further progressed liver failure.” The doctor explained. “The kind where a transplant is the only hope a patient has. According to the scans we’ve already completed, however, as I stated her liver is not that far into failure. This isn’t a problem of the liver failing to effectively filter alcohol in her body. This is something that’s been going on for far longer. It’s likely been building up over time and has now hit a point where it is impacting the body’s ability to correctly function.”

“I… Don't understand.” Versia’s confusion was only deepening as the conversation went on.

“Obviously, we’ve only just met.” The doctor said. “I don’t know your medical background in the least and aside from what I have here I’m working strictly off of guesses, really. If I had to guess, this is likely a mutation brought on by the abhorrent pollution on this planet. You may have even been born with it. Your mother could have breathed in enough of the chemicals in the air while pregnant to mutate your cells during gestation. Granted if that were the case it may have killed you as an infant, but not if it was slow enough in growth.”

“Am I going to die?” Tears began to well in her blue eyes as she stared terrified at the doctor. She hadn’t feared death for years. She had been anticipating it, at times awaiting it even. So why? Why did the idea of dying from a sickness she didn’t even know she had scare her so much? She couldn’t answer. The thought nearly brought vomit — maybe blood? — to her throat once more. She didn’t understand why at all. 

“Not…” The doctor gritted his teeth and rattled his head back and forth gently, “Necessarily? With treatment, in theory, you could live. The problem being however, your planet lacks the resources to treat even common diseases at this point, let alone something like this. I have… Theories… Based on years of our own experiments and research, of course. But this is where Emperor Prime comes in.”

“What is it?” Prime asked coldly. Through the entire conversation he had been quiet. Versia noticed the intrigued look on his face, however. 

“Regular blood transfusions.” The doctor said without hesitation. “In theory if she is consistently given new blood the disease will not be able to infect the newer cells fast enough and would slow down, enabling her quality of life to at least remain at a moderate level instead of steadily declining. There’s also the possibility that if she receives transfusions with blood that is unaffected by the disease it could slowly be pushed out of her body or be taken out by the stronger blood.”

“And you think my blood is just that, don’t you?” Prime asked, narrowing his eyes some at the doctor.

“I have reason to suspect it, yes. After all out of anyone I’ve been studying your blood longest. It has… Certain properties. You’re aware, of course, with the cloning projects.” The smaller man was being careful of his wording. Versia watched as the men spoke.

“Why should I agree to this?” Prime asked coldly. “What do I have to benefit?”

Versia wanted to be offended that the idea of saving a life wasn’t enough for the man, but she also understood how it could be an inconvenience for a galactic leader to suddenly become a constant blood donor. It hurt, but she understood.

“If we are successful,” The doctor said, “We could cure future defective clones.”

Prime suddenly looked extremely interested.

“With some luck you could gain a new soldier without even needing to grow a body. You would also never again have to sacrifice one of your generals over an illness like the one he had.” Versia was confused, completely out of the loop. But Prime seemed to understand, which she supposed was the important part. Before he could give a proper answer however the doctor turned to the girl. “This would also mean, though, that you join us. You leave your world behind to live on our ship to carry out regular treatments for a completely indeterminable amount of time, and you swear your allegiance to the empire of Horde Prime.”

“Leaving this place isn't a problem for me.” She said coldly.

“It’s not?” He asked, confusion thick in his voice.

“Yeah.” She laughed nervously. “Didn’t really get a chance to mention that earlier I guess. I’ve kinda been homeless for a few years now.”

Both men looked at her with eyes open wide. 

“That explains a lot about the other concerns in your tests, as well as your weight I suppose.” He said, looking down at the tablet that remained in his hands. 

“If we have nothing to lose but a little time and more to gain, I’ll accept.” Prime spoke after a moment. “But the moment it seems to be failing we quit this little experiment and let the circle of life take its course.”

Versia and the doctor looked to the man and nodded. Versia felt a little hurt, but again she understood. If it failed there was no point to continue of course. It made sense in an unfortunately cruel way.

“Yes, sir.” The doctor said. “I’ll retrieve you later today for a blood sample so I can conduct a controlled test before we begin transfusions.”

“Thank you.” Versia’s voice squeaked out. 

“You best not disappoint me.” Prime said with a nod before exiting the room.

When he was gone the doctor extended a hand.

“I suppose if you’ll be staying awhile I should properly introduce myself. My name is Seres. I’m Emperor Prime’s head of medical science, one of only a few doctors on our ship.” Versia’s hand connected with his and shook softly.

“I believe I already introduced myself.” Versia laughed lightly.

“Yeah, I probably deserved the sarcasm in that.” Seres laughed as well. “I think for now you’ll be staying in the medical ward. We can move you into a long term room though, something not so small and with a shower for you to get the blood out of your hair.”

“That’d be really nice.” Versia smiled warmly. Despite all that had happened, the fact her body was slowly killing her, she was happy to finally have a home once again in exchange. Even if she was to die, she was strangely comforted by the idea she would not die drunk and cold in the street, the fate she had imagined she’d meet for years.


	2. Chapter 2

Seres pressed a badge to a scanner on the wall causing the white door in front of them to open. He stepped aside allowing Versia, who was no longer stuck to her IV, to enter ahead of him. On the inside was a larger than the previous, though still relatively small room with a bed, a dresser, some white wood cupboards, and a counter with a sink. Immediately to the left of the entrance was another door. 

“That’s the bathroom.” Seres explained. “It should be pretty much what you’re us—” He stopped himself, remembering the girl in front of him wasn’t exactly ‘used to’ any of this.

“It’s okay.” She said quickly with a reassuring smile. “I know what you meant. What I was used to before I became homeless, right?”

“Y-yes. Sorry.” He stammered, still embarrassed by his error. “There should be some soap and shampoo available in there already. We practically never need to use these rooms, so there’s no reason they should be used up. I’m sure getting cleaned up will make you feel a bit better.”

“This is…” Versia looked around, a feeling welling in her chest. She swallowed in an attempt to push the feeling down before turning to Seres. “Thank you.”

“Oh, no need to thank me.” Seres smiled. “This is thanks to his excellency Horde Prime after all.”

“You’re the one who found the disease, suggested the treatment.” Versia said. “I really do owe—”

“There is still testing to be done before we can move on to treatment.” The doctor interrupted, suddenly seeming cold as he had earlier when they first met. “I admire your gratitude, really, but you don’t owe me anything yet. I really hope it works. I hope my theories are correct not just for your sake of course but for the sake of our empire. Please don’t have your hopes up without even the first phase of testing being conducted though. There’s still much that could go wrong.”

“Yes, I know.” Versia nodded. “I am still grateful though. The idea that at the very least I won’t die in the streets of a dying planet is nice.”

“I understand.” Seres nodded. “I’ll leave you to get washed up. I’ll be back in awhile to collect a fresh blood sample for further testing, so you know. After that we can see about getting you a proper meal.”

He turned to leave before seeming to remember something.

“Oh, that’s right. I nearly forgot.” He turned back to the girl. “I’ll have a change of clothes brought for you while you’re showering. I’m guessing based on your height and weight you’re? A small or maybe a medium on your planet?”

“Small for more form fitting clothing, medium for a looser fit.” She smiled. 

“I’ll get you mediums for your lounge wear then. You can put what you’re wearing in the laundry bin in your bathroom and it will be washed by one of his excellency’s attendants.” He said.

With that he left, leaving Versia alone in what she would have to work on thinking of as her home. It was nice that she had somewhere to stay now, of course. She was genuine when she had expressed her gratitude to Seres. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with this place itself inherently, rather it was that being homeless had truly become a part of her identity. She was familiar with the idea of not knowing where she would be sleeping, bordering on comfortable with not having a roof over her head. It wasn’t a healthy way of thinking but it was what she was used to. When you lead an unstable life, you become comfortable with familiarity. Even if that familiarity isn’t healthy. Shelter wasn’t familiar. Shelter was, in a strange way, uncomfortable. She would need to grow used to it once again, but if it meant survival she would find a way.

After she had stripped away the clothes she had been wearing for far too long and stepped into the shower, Versia was surprised at how nice the warm water felt over her skin. She decided to turn the dial just a little warmer, feeling now as if she could absorb the heat directly into her bones. This was the warmest she had felt in years, and for some reason she just could not get enough of it. Maybe adjusting to life indoors once more wouldn’t be too hard, as long as she could keep taking showers like this. Every molten drop that kissed her skin felt like heaven. The shampoo and soap, she noticed, didn’t help how much she was very quickly falling in love with showers again. They smelled sweet and made her skin and hair feel luxuriously soft as soon as they touched her skin. This was truly what heaven must have felt like. Unfortunately, she knew it would need to come to an end soon. She needed to get dressed and wait until Seres returned for her blood sample. But certainly, he could wait a few extra minutes while she allowed herself to melt within the tiled walls just a bit longer. 

When the blond eventually emerged from the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her slender frame she found an unsurprisingly white set of clothing folded on her bed. The top had loose sleeves that reached just above her elbows. The neckline was a somewhat loose V shape and the left side of the collar continued in a diagonal line towards the right side of her waist, giving the garment a ‘wrapped’ look. Where the line ended was a small white bow tied with a thin string. The bottoms were simple. They had an adjustable drawstring on the waist and hung down just a little past her knees. As she dressed Versia noticed the articles were very lightweight, only slightly heavier than the hospital gowns she had worn a couple times as a child. Overall, the ensemble was quite comfortable. 

As she stood, stretching her limbs and testing her range of motion in the new clothing there was a knock at the door that caught her by surprise. 

“Come in.” She called to whoever was on the other side.

“Ah, I see you’re dressed.” Seres said as he entered the room. “How do they fit?”

“Good.” Versia nodded. “They’re loose but in a comfy way.”

“Excellent.” The man smiled. “I made a good choice grabbing the mediums then.”

“So what’s up?” She asked. “I thought you needed to get- uh- Prime’s blood sample?”

His name felt strange in her mouth, but she knew she would need to get used to it quickly.

“Address him as Lord or Emperor Prime.” Seres advised sternly. 

“Sorry, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.” Versia sighed.

“You’ll need to.” Seres said, stepping towards the counter in the girl’s room before continuing. “His highness has found himself engaged in some important matters so I will have to gather his sample later. In the meantime I thought it best to gather yours so that we can finally get some food in you.”

“Ah, okay.” She nodded. 

“Go ahead and get comfortable in your bed there while I get this set up.” He said, pulling several strange items from the drawers of the counter. Versia did as she was told and climbed into the bed that was set to a more upright position. She pulled the blankets, a similar but heavier material to her clothing, up to her hips. Her hands rested in her lap as she watched Seres work for a moment to gather supplies and assemble the collection setup.

“Let me see your arm here.” He said, almost playfully poking her left arm. She held the arm out, resting it on the rail of the bed and watching as he tied a tourniquet around her upper arm. He wiped a section further down with a cold pad that she assumed was soaked in some kind of cleaning agent. He looked to her light blue eyes, catching her somewhat off-guard. “If you’re afraid of needles, you may want to look away for this part.”

“Oh, thanks.” She said. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“Alright. You may feel a slight prick.” Seres smiled. He lifted the needle and poked it into her vein. Versia had expected it to hurt more than it did. Her face did twist slightly at the feeling, but it was a surprisingly gentle feeling that faded quickly. Soon her blood began to leak into the tubing attached to the needle and she felt her stomach turn some, forcing her to look away. 

“So needles aren’t a problem.” Seres observed. “But you seem rather uncomfortable with blood.“ 

“It’s just a bit startling for me.” Versia said, continuing to look in the opposite direction. “It’s not a phobia or anything.”

“I understand.” The man said. “Especially given your last encounter with it, I can see where that discomfort would stem from. Just try to relax and it’ll be over soon. You’re a good bleeder.” 

“I’ll… Take that as a compliment.” Versia said uncomfortably. “Thanks.”

“Well, it’ll definitely make collecting samples and testing easier.” He laughed, the sound catching her by surprise. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about while we do this? I know sometimes it helps relax patients to talk.”

“Why do you look so much like him?” The question had been burning at the back of her mind and spilled from her lips without much permission. 

“Ah. I thought you might ask that at some point. I’m glad you did.” He smiled. “I am a clone of Emperor Prime’s DNA.” 

Versia suddenly turned her face back to the man. She wore a look of surprise when their eyes met.

“In fact, you’ll find most of his army and his servants are clones, save for a small handful from conquered worlds.” Seres said. “Emperor Prime has excellent DNA. Save for some minor physical differences, nearly all of his specimens are perfect.”

“’Nearly’?” She asked.

“Yes.” His teeth gritted some. “We’ve had some clones who have… Defects. Imperfections, illnesses that render them useless to him.”

The girl swallowed hard at the words. If she too was determined to be useless, she’d die, wouldn’t she? The thought constricted on her stomach, growing tighter when she accidentally glanced to the red snake-like tube that hung from her arm. 

“Hey, don’t look at it.” Seres said perhaps a bit more sternly than he had intended. “Look at me.”

Versia obeyed immediately, her eyes locking with the glowing green that came from Seres’ skull. 

“What you’re doing now is something that, if successful, will prove to be one of the most useful, most important things to him.” His voice was soft now. “I have my worries about it, I’m sure they pale in comparison to your own, but I wouldn’t have even bothered mentioning the idea if I didn’t think there was at least a seventy percent chance of it being successful. I would have let you go on with what remained of your life without a second thought, despite my own curiosity of your condition. We would not be here right now if I didn’t believe in my theory. We wouldn’t be here if I thought Emperor Prime would let you die without trying something.”

Versia’s lip quivered. She looked sick, she even felt a bit sick. But it wasn’t the only feeling. She couldn’t place a finger on the other feeling. It was mixed with relief, that she knew. The doctor’s reassurance had made her muscles relax as much as they realistically could right now. She felt a warmth welling in her eyes and her vision was starting to blur. 

“I know what I said earlier, and I said that for a reason.” Seres continued. “There is a chance this will fail and I want you to be ready for that. I don’t want to tell you with absolute certainty that you’re going to live. I don’t want to tell you that because it simply isn’t true, there is still testing to be done. But that testing wouldn’t be being done if the odds weren’t in our favor, alright?”

The girl nodded as stray tears leaked from her eyes, racing each other down her face to the blanket below. 

“We’re just about done.” Seres smiled. “After that I’ll make sure you get something to eat. What do you like?”

“Foods that I like…” The girl thought for a moment as she used her spare arm to wipe the wet streaks from her face. What had she liked before? For years she had lived off whatever she could get her hands on, rarely did it taste good no matter how much she tried to pretend it did. Something did come to mind though. “Niua.”

“Niua?” The doctor repeated the word with confusion.

“Yeah.” Versia nodded. “It’s this stuff some of the street vendors serve. They’re these steamed buns that have meat and vegetables in them. I could usually only buy one at a time and really have to savor it, but they’re a life saver in the winter. Would it be possible for me to get some?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Seres smiled. “I’m done now, so I want you to look away while I get everything cleaned up, okay?” 

The girl nodded and looked to the wall on her right. The sick feeling had gone away when she remembered the delicious buns that kept her warm during those cold winter nights. The thought of getting to taste them again distracted her enough that she barely felt the needle release from her arm. She felt a gentle pressure where it had been and turned to see Seres pressing a small piece of cotton to the spot. He wrapped the section of her arm with gauze, being cautious to ensure it wasn’t too tight or too loose for her. 

“There, it’s all done.” He said. “It wasn’t too bad, right?”

“It… Wasn’t the worst.” Versia gave a small smile. “It’s not my favorite, but if it keeps me alive I’ll get used to it.”

“I’m glad. I’ll go start getting your meal arrangements made and hopefully Emperor Prime will be ready for his turn with this soon. I’ll be back to check on you in awhile.” He said, putting the rest of the roll of gauze into a drawer. 

“Thanks.” Versia nodded her head slightly at the man before he turned to leave. 

Alone once again Versia looked at a clock on the wall and began to realize how exhausted she felt. It was mid-morning now and while she was used to not having a good night’s rest last night was definitely more taxing on her than most. Assuming Seres would not be back for awhile and her food would also not arrive for quite some time, she looked for the controller to adjust the position of her bed. When she found it she pressed a button that lowered the head only slightly and pulled the blanket up on to her shoulders, letting herself drift off to a calm sleep. She was so tired that she did not dream that she could recall. Instead her mind was left empty for the couple hours she was able to just lay there fully relaxed. When her eyes cracked open once again she was greeted by a pair of glowing green eyes. At first she assumed it was Seres returning to check on her, but she soon realized she was mistaken once she sat up. 

“Oh, hello.” Versia looked to the man who looked much like the doctor. He held a tray he was setting on a small rolling table that looked like it would slide perfectly over the girl’s lap in her bed. 

“My apologies, I hope I did not wake you.” He said. “I was instructed by Seres to bring you lunch.”

“Thanks.” She smiled as he slid the table to the side of her bed. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “You can leave the table there for now. I want to stretch my legs for a minute.”

“I understand. I hope the food is to your liking, Miss Versia.” He smiled and bowed to her before turning to leave the room. The girl looked to the plate beside her bed, her stomach growling at the delicious smell. To her surprise what sat on the plate looked exactly like the Niua she had told Seres about. She grabbed one of the buns and bit into it excitedly, it tasted just as good as she hoped. Bun in hand, Versia slid the rest of the way out of the bed and walked across the room taking a bite every few seconds of the bun. She returned to the other side of the room and grabbed a second from the plate before turning to walk towards the window that was beside the counter. She stared down at the wide smog covered city below silently as she enjoyed the food. After a few moments from the opposite side of the room she heard the door open and turned toward the sound. 

“Is it good?” Seres asked, noting the nearly gone bun in the girl’s hand. 

“Mhm.” She nodded with a smile, swallowing the bite that was in her mouth. “Delicious.”

“I’m glad.” The doctor said, approaching her and staring down at the city. She returned to her previous face of direction, watching out the window beside him as she took another bite. “Sorry it took longer than expected. I sent one of our clones down to the streets to gather a sample so we could accurately recreate it.”

“It’s okay, I was napping. These are really good.” The girl said. “They did a good job.”

“Excellent. I’ll inform them to keep making them just like that then.” Seres said. “I’m also glad to hear you got some rest. You looked nearly dead earlier.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I didn’t realize how tired I was until after you left. Then it hit all at once and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”

“Well hopefully tonight will be the first of many well rested nights for you.” He said, sitting in the large window sill. “I collected the sample from Emperor Prime and currently have the first round of testing going in one of the labs. There weren’t any immediate problems to be seen thankfully.”

“That's good.” Versia approached the plate and grabbed the last bun before returning to sit across from Seres in the window. The two sat in silence for several moments as she savored the treasure in her hands.

“So what will happen if this is successful?” Versia asked after awhile, turning her gaze from the city to the doctor. 

“Well, it depends on how successful it is.” He said. “At the minimum end of the positives you’ll be restored to average health and be able to lead a normal life while possibly still needing transfusions here and there to keep your condition stable. At the higher end…”

He bit his lip as if he was unsure he should say what was supposed to follow.

“At the higher end?” Versia asked. Her heart began to beat faster.

“At the higher end you’d become very strong. As strong as our troops, possibly stronger.” Seres said. The idea of being that strong sounded interesting to the girl, but the coldness in the doctor’s tone made her uneasy. Too uneasy to ask more questions. She had a feeling she knew what would happen if that outcome was met and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. The silence returned between the two, this time far more tense than before. As much as Versia wanted to let go of the thoughts and speculation around what awaited her down the line, they stayed with her, wrapping themselves in knots around her midsection. Soon, the delicious buns still warm in her stomach threatened to make a second appearance. She swallowed hard, trying to push them back down where they belonged.

“Seres?” She asked, her voice somewhat weak. 

“Hm? Are you alright?” He asked, noticing her off expression.

“Can I… Get some water?” She was trying her best to control her breathing. “I feel nauseous.”

“Yes, of course.” The doctor said, returning to his feet and stepping towards the counter. He found what looked to be a hard plastic cup in the cabinet and filled it with water from the tap, handing it quickly off to the girl. 

“Thanks.” She said. The cold radiated from the cup on to her hands. It felt refreshing as it trickled down her throat and filled her stomach with a soft cool feeling. She forced herself to sip it slowly, knowing that if she drank too fast it would only make things worse. After drinking about half the glass she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the glass of the window. It felt nice against her forehead. 

“Did it help?” Seres asked, concern seeming to discreetly leak into his tone. 

“Yeah.” The Versia nodded slightly, keeping her head pressed to the window. “A little.”

“Good.” He smiled. “Emperor Prime and I talked while I was gathering his sample. We’re going to assign you an assistant since I won’t be able to be here all the time.”

“An… Assistant?” She opened her eyes, raising a brow in confusion.

“Yes. It may be a little odd for you at first, but I promise you’ll benefit from it.” He nodded. “They’ll help with tasks like getting your food and water as well as being present to monitor your status and alert me and the rest of the medical team if something goes wrong. I think it will also benefit you to have someone you can socialize with. Think of them as a companion, perhaps even a friend.”

“A… Friend…” Her voice trailed off as she watched out the window. Seres’ expression turned sympathetic as he realized she likely didn’t have many if any friends before.   
“I have to be going now but the next time I come back I should have your companion with me.” He forced a smile to try and make the girl feel better. 

“Alright.” She nodded, attempting to return the smile. The doctor left, leaving her alone for what she assumed would be the last time for awhile.


	3. Chapter 3

How long had she sat staring out the window? Versia didn’t know. Her sense of time blurred as she stared at the familiar streets below. An unease wrapping tightly around her stomach. After awhile she realized it wasn’t just her sense of time that had blurred, but as she looked around the room it too began swirling together. She felt her heartbeat speed up inside her chest and quickly stood from her spot on the ledge. She knew what was happening. Her legs threatened to give beneath her, though she forced them to hold just enough to wobble towards the bathroom. Not far into the tiled room the limbs followed through on their threat and she collapsed in front of the toilet, a combination of bile, blood, and well chewed food spilling out of her. The girl began to weep as she leaned against the cold porcelain. She didn’t want to, but she didn’t have the strength to fight the sobs as they broke forcefully from her fragile body. Her thoughts raced as she cried. She had been fine for years. Why was this happening? Why now? And why to her? Another wave of sickness fell over her as she expelled more of the contents from her stomach into the bowl in front of her.

“Oh dear.” A familiar voice came from behind her. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap gently around her hair and pull it back some. The other hand stroked her back gently. 

When the vomit stopped once again Versia couldn’t help as her sobs grew louder, harder. 

“It’s alright.” Seres said as he allowed her hair to drop once again. “Is that all?”

“I-I think so.” Versia’s voice was shaking. “I’m not sure.”

“We can stay here for a couple minutes if you need.” He said, the hand on her back continuing to rub gently. It was a calming feeling, one that allowed her to close her eyes and relax her breathing some. The feeling that had boiled itself to the back of her throat retreated to a gentle simmer in her stomach, no longer threatening to overflow. 

“I can… Get up now.” Versia said, looking to the doctor. For a brief moment, she took note of the figure standing a few feet away. A clone, his features matching Seres’ perfectly. Seres brought one of the girl’s arms around his neck, wrapping an arm around her back as he helped to pull her to her feet. The clone who had been standing away from the two approached them and offered an arm for Versia to hold on to. Nervously, she took it and followed him to her bed. 

“As you may have guessed,” Seres said, lifting an arm to motion towards the clone. “This will be your companion.”

“Hello.” Versia nodded her head towards the clone. 

“Hello, Miss Versia.” The clone smiled and bowed his head. “It’s an honor to serve by your side.”

“He’ll be with you at all times unless otherwise requested by Lord Prime or myself.” Seres explained. “If you need anything please let him know.”

“What- Uh- What’s your name?” She asked, looking to the clone.

“The clones don’t have names.” Seres piped in quickly. 

“What?” Versia’s blue eyes widened at the response. 

“Yes.” Seres nodded. “Horde Prime does not see them as worthy of names as they are all simply extensions of him. They generally refer to one another as ‘brother,’ but he should respond to anything. Something as simple as ‘Hey, you’ or even his unit number is fine.” 

“A-alright.” The girl felt an unease return to her stomach as she processed what she was hearing. “What’s your unit number then?”

“FS-52” The clone smiled, his tone and general demeanor uncomfortably cheerful for someone who was hearing a conversation about how they weren’t worthy of a name and ‘would respond to anything.’

“It’s short enough, we’ll stick to that for now.” Versia said. “It’s nice to meet you FS-52.”

“The pleasure is mine.” The clone’s eyes closed, amplifying his smile.

“Now that the two of you have met,” Seres started, “I’m going to grab some anti-nausea medicine to hopefully help you sleep through tonight.” 

“Thanks.” Versia nodded. The doctor left the room, leaving the girl and her assigned clone alone. It was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke again. “FS-52?” 

“Hm?” The clone’s pointed ears perked up when he heard her. 

“If the clones are not worthy of names,” Her voice was gentle, though held some nervousness to it, “Why does Seres have one?”

“Seres is… A special case.” FS-52 said, choosing his words carefully. “His purpose to Horde Prime’s empire runs deeper than any of the rest of us, and for that he is worthy of a name.”

Soon after he finished speaking, the topic of conversation entered the room once again, carrying with him a bag full of a clear substance. He hung the bag up and went to work setting up an IV for Versia. FS-52 stared with a smile at the girl as the needle slipped inside her vein. He noted how soft her features were, so different from his brothers. This was his first time seeing beings like her up close, his first time becoming acquainted with fragility like this. Something about that fascinated him. 

“Alright, you’re all set.” Seres pulled away from her with a smile. “Hopefully that should suppress things long enough for you to get some decent rest. Do you need anything else from me for the night?”

“No.” Versia shook her head. “Thank you.” 

“Rest well.” Seres said. He turned to the clone. “Take care of her. This experiment is important to Lord Prime.”

“Yes sir.” FS-52 nodded. 

The word ‘experiment’ sent a shiver down Versia’s spine as she watched the doctor leave the room. FS-52 had turned his attention back to the girl, noting her discomfort as he did. The clone tilted his head to the side, his ears rotating some as he did.

“Is something wrong?” He asked softly. 

“It’s nothing.” Versia shook her head. “It’s just… Being thought of as an experiment is a bit degrading.”

“Degrading?” FS-52 asked, his ears perking up as he widened his eyes in surprise. “Whatever do you mean? You’re an experiment for the emperor, Lord Prime himself. There is no greater honor than to serve his excellency and his empire.”

“W-what?” Versia asked, her voice shaking.

“I’m sure you’ll see soon, really, try not to overthink it.” FS-52 was grinning ear to ear, his eyes seeming to glow even brighter than they had before. It sent a shiver through the girl as she watched him, her heart pounding inside her chest. Suddenly, when he spoke once more his voice was not as pitched as it had been previously. It was lower with a strange sense of grit to it. “To serve Horde Prime is the best thing any living being can hope to do.”

Words abandoned the girl as she felt a lump in her throat growing by the second. She swallowed in an attempt to push it back down. It didn’t move. Her lips didn’t move. Something was wrong.

“Are you frightened?” The same voice came from him once again as he approached her. “Do you recognize this voice?”

Versia froze as he kept moving. Suddenly, she understood. She remembered that voice.

“You should know that I am always listening.” Horde Prime’s voice spoke through FS-52’s mouth once more as he stood beside her bed. Suddenly, two arms came down on either side of her, leaving the clone’s body not far from hers. “I am everywhere. I am inevitable. Perhaps instead of obsessing over the words of others, you should worry about your own.”

He lingered over her for a moment longer before withdrawing. The clone’s eyes returned to their normal more subdued glow and his expression softened once again. 

“You understand, don’t you?” FS-52’s voice had also returned to normal as he asked the question with a smile, unnerving the girl even more. She nodded, still unable to speak. The clone approached a panel on the wall and suddenly the lights in the room dimmed around them. “Try to get some rest. I’ll be here if you need anything.”

The words should have comforted her more than they did, but after an encounter like that how could Versia even think of sleeping. Still, she knew at the very least she should pretend. That she should probably at least try no matter how hard it might be. If this was who she was dealing with, her days were certain to become longer. As she rolled to face the wall and away from the clone she thought back on her brief meeting of the one called Horde Prime. The image of his face brought a chill through her body. She pulled the blanket closer to her body and attempted to push his face away from her mind, his hauntingly sharp features clawing into her brain as a reminder on their way out that she would likely never be very far away from him again. Eventually though, the thoughts did fade and she was able to drift off to sleep. 

After that night the days began to blur together. Seres usually came to see her a few times a day. Sometimes he was taking blood, sometimes he was giving her medicines to help her symptoms. All the while FS-52 never left the girl’s side. He was always there, always watching. It took a couple days for Versia to get used to the clone, though despite the strange encounter the two had on her first night knowing him she had come to know him as an attentive companion. When she asked for things, unless they were in violation of Seres or Horde Prime’s orders, her requests were fulfilled promptly. To say she didn’t still have her guard up would be foolish though. After that night, she knew Prime was always there. Always watching. Maybe it was passive at times, but she had seen that shift in FS-52’s eyes beyond the first time. Every once in awhile it was like her companion was completely gone. His eyes would glow and lock on to the young blond for several moments, usually while she was interacting with Seres. It was something she saw from the corner of her eye and before she knew it he was back to normal. A life under constant watch, being poked and prodded for science. Versia understood. Despite her discomfort at times, it was a trade off to preserve her own life. This was her new normal. If she wanted to live, she would have no choice but to adapt.

“Hey, FS-52?” Versia asked the clone from her bed. 

“Yes? What can I do for you?” He stood from where he sat in the window and approached the girl. 

“Would it be possible for me to go for a walk around the ship?” Her voice was cautious as she asked, she was sure she already knew the answer. 

“You… Don’t currently have clearance for that. My apologies.” FS-52 answered.

“It's okay. It’s just getting a bit uncomfortable to spend this much time in bed.” Versia replied. This was the answer she anticipated. 

“I will let Seres know and see if something can be arranged to improve your comfort.” The clone smiled. 

“Thanks.” The girl nodded and began to climb out of her bed. “In the meantime if I can’t go for a walk I’m gonna take this opportunity to shower before the next time Seres needs to poke me with a needle.”

She stopped at the dresser to grab a change of clothes and walked to the bathroom, the clone following close behind her. This was normal. It had been strange at first, but when Versia expressed her discomfort her and FS-52 made a deal. The clone would cover his eyes while she was undressing until he heard the water turn on in the shower, then he would cover them once again when the water stopped until Versia gave him the okay. This way she maintained some privacy while still allowing FS-52 to do his job of making sure she would be safe. Versia sat her clothes on the counter and watched as the clone pulled a hand over his eyes. She smiled and went to work stripping the white top and pants from her frame. When he heard the water begin to run, the clone removed the hand from his eyes. 

The water always felt refreshing against Versia’s skin. Every shower made her feel like she had been born again. Cleanliness was a feeling she was becoming very attached to. As the hot water steamed against her skin Versia stretched, arching her back to earn several small pops from her spine. She then brought her hands to her chin and the back of her head, twisting her neck to hear a few more pops. If she couldn’t go for a walk, the hot water relaxing her muscles this much was certainly enough to make up for it. If she could stay under the warm stream for eternity, she probably would. After getting the pops and tension out of her muscles, the girl went to work scrubbing her hair and skin. Not being exposed to the elements meant she was never particularly dirty anymore, though she definitely did still sweat some in her sleep. The soap felt like fresh air in her pores as it cleared the remnants of sleep from them. 

Eventually, after lingering for a few extra moments in the warmth of the shower Versia turned off the water and began to step out. Quickly, from the corner of her eye before she was fully exposed the girl noticed two bright green eyes looking at her. 

“H-hey!” She jumped, pulling back to make sure only her face was exposed. “Did you forget you’re supposed to cover your eyes?”

“Excuse me?” The clone’s brow bone arched. As the voice emerged from his mouth, Versia realized it wasn’t FS-52 looking at her. 

“I-I’m sorry, Lord Prime.” Versia looked to the ground, her heart racing. 

“An understandable mistake.” He laughed. “Come on out.”

Her eyes locked silently with his for several seconds. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” His glowing eyes rolled. “Just come out and dry off. I don’t want you to get sick before we’ve even began the live test phase of this project.”

Versia sighed and stepped out on to the white mat in front of her. She kept and arm close to her chest, feeling more grateful than ever that she didn’t have much to hide as she reached for a towel to wrap herself in. 

“So why are you here right now?” The girl asked.

“Admittedly, I wasn’t immediately aware you were showering.” He said with a chuckle. “But that doesn’t mean I was going to leave either. I assumed by now you were used to not having much privacy.”

He wasn’t entirely wrong, her agreement with FS-52 was some of the only privacy she felt she still had. In the back of her mind though she knew at some point him or Seres, possibly both, would see her naked. She grabbed a secondary towel and began drying her hair with the first towel secured around her body.

“It looks like earlier you asked FS-52 if you could go for a walk. Is this true?” He asked.

“Yes.” Versia nodded. She saw no reason or benefit to lie. 

“Well, after you get dressed we can go for a walk and discuss some things to help you stretch your legs.” He smiled. It sent a shiver through the girl. She was glad to have a chance to walk around, but something about him smiling like that made her uncomfortable. 

Versia set the towel she had used for her hair on the counter and sighed as she untucked the towel around her body, using it to do a one over and finish drying. When she set the towel aside the pair of eyes seemed to watch her even closer than they had before. She tried to ignore it as she reached for the shirt on the counter.

“Hold on a moment.” His voice made her jump. On instinct she pulled the shirt close to her chest. Suddenly the man approached her.

“W-what are you doing?” Her voice was shaking. 

“I told you, I’m not going to hurt you.” Prime said, rolling his eyes some. “Show me your back. There’s something there.” 

The girl’s heart was pounding, but she did as she was told. The tall figure knelt down and she felt a gentle claw tracing along part of her back to her right side. The movement made her shiver noticeably.

“Does that hurt?” He asked. 

“A-a little. Why?” She was shaking as he continued to touch her.

“We should have caught this sooner.” Prime said in an audibly frustrated tone. “Your companion should have never been looking away from you.” 

“Why? What’s going on?” Versia began to panic as the talon continued tracing her side. 

“You got burned when the guard used a stun baton on you the night you showed up.” Prime sighed. “It looks like it’s healing alright on the surface but for some reason there’s a large spread under the skin. You haven’t seen or felt it until now?”

“No.” The girl shook her head. 

“It may have damaged some of the nerves in that area.” His hand dropped from her skin and he returned to his normal standing height, immediately allowing Versia to relax slightly. “I’ll let Seres know of this and have him look further into it.”

The girl turned to examine her body in the mirror for the first time since she arrived in this place. Sure enough, as she twisted herself to see there was a large darkened pink patch of skin on her side with several lines sprouting away from it like the roots of a plant. 

“Go ahead and get dressed.” Prime said, stepping several feet back. “We’ll still go for that walk after you’re done.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support on this fic! I've written both original and fanfic in the past however I felt very scared when I began posting chapters for this story because truth be told I'm actually not very confident as a writer yet! I have other work that I do and am currently working on a lot of things in my life, so sadly I can't write as frequently as I would like but please know your support means the world to me. I was recently having a very horrible day when I received an email that somebody had left me a kind and positive comment and I literally cried because I was so warmed by it. Thank you all so much for your support and I will do my best to add chapters as frequently as I can!

As Horde Prime had promised, after Versia was dressed she was able to leave her room for the first time since she had entered it. When the two emerged to the white corridor beyond her door, the man who occupied her companion’s body offered a bent arm. She was confused and surprised by the gesture at first, but quickly wrapped her right hand softly around the clone’s bicep. They walked slowly through the hall, silently at first. Prime seemed to be seeking a feel for Versia’s pace so he wouldn’t walk too fast. Once they had found a comfortable rhythm Versia hesitantly broke the silence that hung between the two. 

“So, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?” She asked. Her voice was nervous, uneasy. 

“Tonight we will depart this world.” His voice seemed rather blunt. “Your former leader has agreed to surrender to my empire without force. In exchange for my acquiring of the planet, my forces will supply aid in the form of medical care, food, and other resources.”

Versia’s expression was still and unmoved as he spoke. She was not surprised of this outcome. The people of Carthanium did not have the resources to stand against Prime’s forces. Had they not surrendered peacefully, it was likely to end badly for them. She wouldn’t have thought this way before, she was against Prime’s “liberation” when news broke that he had arrived on her planet, however after her short time on the ship and learning more of the man who controlled it she knew his control was inevitable. 

“Seres says that he’s making excellent progress with the transfusion experiment.” The subject seemed sudden, but Versia was pleased to hear it. Her eyes picked up from the ground a few feet in front of her to the man she walked with. 

“Really?” She asked softly. 

“Yes.” He nodded. “We do not yet have an exact timeline for when the live trials will begin, he has informed me however that the research is moving along much faster than initially anticipated. That our blood is surprisingly more compatible than expected.” 

There seemed to be something in his voice that Versia couldn’t read. She couldn’t place her finger on just what it was, only that there was something about his tone that sent a subtle chill through her spine. Without a response from the shorter girl who walked beside him, Prime’s voice continued through his clone’s mouth. 

“Should this prove successful at that phase you will be not only a worthy asset to my empire, but a symbol of hope to the people of Carthanium.” Versia’s eyes widened as he looked down to them, a stormy blue staring back up at him. She was quiet, speechless and unsure how to react. Suddenly, he stopped walking beside her. Versia turned her head forward once again to see a set of steps in front of her. The topic changed without her response once more as Prime looked to the stairs, then back to her. “Are you strong enough for stairs? Or do you wish to return for now?”

“I think I’m strong enough.” On the inside, Versia was unsure how true that statement was. She had been feeling a bit weak after the short distance they had walked and part of her did want to return to her room and lie down. After being cooped up for so long, however, she didn’t want to let go of this small taste of freedom just yet. It was nice to have a bed to call her own, a comfort she had grown unfamiliar with during her years sleeping among Neopraxa’s unforgiving streets. It was also nice, however, to be out and walking around somewhere that was not the familiar four walls for the first time in what had to have been a couple weeks. She wanted to hold on to this for awhile longer. 

“Very well. We can take it slow.” He said, setting his foot on the first step. Versia clutched tightly to his arm as they took the stairs a step at a time. Horde Prime’s patience with her was a well welcome surprise. One that brought a soft smile to her face. There was no denying that a part of her was still absolutely terrified of him. The way her fate now rested firmly in the palm of the alien man’s hands, she would be a fool to not hold on to her fear. Despite this, the girl did find herself feeling an array of things when it came to him. Fear held a firm footing at the top of the list, but near behind it was a sense of hope, curiosity, and perhaps even a speck of comfort. 

When the two reached the top of the stairs they found their original pace once more and walked for several moments, a silence lingering between the two once more. Versia felt its weight begin to pull at her stomach and heart, her pulse raising some. Suddenly, Horde Prime stopped and turn to her, her hand dropping from his arm as the clone’s glowing green eyes drifted up and down her body for a moment before he finally spoke.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, a hint of concern surfacing in his tone. 

“Y-yeah.” She answered, her voice shaking a bit as she quickly attempted to keep herself composed. “It probably sounds a bit ridiculous, however silence makes me nervous. I think I just got so used to the perpetual background sound in my life before that I’m not used to quiet now.”

“It’s not something I can relate to, but it makes sense.” Prime said. His understanding washed a sense of relief over Versia. “Is there something you would like to talk about while we walk?”

“I don’t know what to talk about.” She laughed a bit. “I can’t handle the silence, but I’m also not exactly the most well versed in socializing.”

“That is… Quite a predicament.” He said before returning to the girl’s side. She grasped his arm once more as they continued to walk. “It would be pointless for me to ask about the days you’ve spent here as I already have access to your companion’s internal memory logs. What about the days before you came here though?”

“What about them?” Versia asked, an eyebrow raising as she looked to him from the corner of her eye. 

“Well, we’ve established that you were homeless. What was it like?” Prime’s voice was oozing with a strange curiosity. “Why did you end up that way?”

The questions made Versia feel a bit uneasy, though admittedly in a way that was easier for her to handle than the discomfort of silence. She was unsure if she was really ready to discuss this with him, someone who she didn’t know well and still honestly made her feel deeply frightened. She contemplated and argued the options in her head for a moment. Opting for the lesser of two evils and realizing there was not much for her to lose, the girl decided she would open up and discuss the topic he had chosen. 

“It’s… Complicated.” Versia let out a sigh as the chain she placed around her memories began to unlock. “My childhood in Neopraxa was not a happy one.” 

“Seeing the state of the city, it’s not a shock.” Prime said rather bluntly. The honesty of the statement was heavy and stung some in Versia’s heart. Still, she couldn’t help but let out a small halfhearted laugh.

“Yeah. Things had already gotten pretty terrible by the time I was even born.” She thought to the news stories she saw in her early childhood of her city and world beginning to crumble. Black ink on off-white paper showing tragedy after tragedy on a near daily basis. “Decades of unethical mining and manufacturing practices tore our planet apart. Natural resources were becoming scarcer by the day. Governments became more selfish. Some even went to war over it.” 

Wars of this nature were nothing new to a galactic ruler. He had seen it dozens of times, even used it to his advantage in the case of some of his conquests. A people already divided were not hard to claim victory over. Despite his familiarity with the situation, Prime did not interrupt Versia as she continued. 

“My father was one of those people. When I was four, he was called to fight in the name of the future of Neopraxa.” She said. Memories of the day the letter came rolled through the back of her mind. She remembered the grim expressions her parents wore as her father read the letter aloud to her mother. “The government made promises to those who enlisted that when they returned home there would be money, healthcare, jobs, and all kinds of wonderful things waiting for them. Scarcity does things to people, so though my parents were hesitant, my father agreed to sign the contract and go to war.”

“I’m guessing those promises were full of emptiness.” Prime chimed in. Versia nodded.

“For four years my mother and I waited for him to come home. Things were getting worse and worse by the day in Neopraxa. At first my mother took whatever odd jobs she could to keep food in my mouth. Eventually though, those jobs weren’t enough. She started coming home later and later at night. I knew something was wrong when she began coming home with bruises. There were even times she was bleeding. When I asked what happened though, she simply told me it wasn’t something children should concern themselves with. Now that I’ve spent time in the streets myself, I know what was going on. I know my mother was selling her body to the men and women who remained in the city. I didn’t at the time though. I only knew that there was food in our fridge and that sometimes she got hurt earning the money for that food. At some point in that time she made enough excess money to pick up a drug habit. I guess it helped her cope with the things she was going through. I understand it now, to an extent.”

Prime continued to watch the girl silently as she spoke. She had drawn his interest. His attention remained fully on the girl as she continued to recount the tales of her youth.

“A little after my eighth birthday my dad came home. We all thought that finally, after so many years of struggling just to make ends meet, things would be looking up. Mom wouldn’t have to sell herself to put food on the table, Dad would have stable income. We would be able to see doctors when we needed.” As she spoke, she felt her heart drop some as she remembered the days after he came home. Prime noticed this as well but stayed quiet. “We waited and waited for the letters to come. The ones approving us for medical care and the monthly checks. But like you already know, those were empty promises. They never came. As the days passed and hope became despair, things started to get bad at home. My parents were stressed. Reluctantly my mom returned to working the streets. My dad would occasionally browse the job listings in the paper, but mostly he just sat there staring at a wall. He didn’t talk much anymore. When he did, it was usually in the form of shouting. Sometimes he shouted at nothing at all. He even woke up shouting sometimes. I didn’t understand that at the time either, but now I know it was likely flashbacks from the war. Of course, he couldn’t get treated for that trauma. We couldn’t afford it and our mailbox continued to be empty day after day. I don’t know when he decided it was the best option, but one day he took some of mom’s prostitution money and decided if he couldn’t afford medicine then alcohol was the next best thing.” 

She sighed softly as the two continued to walk through the halls. 

“Eventually I came to realize that the parents I knew and loved were dead.” Prime’s eyes widened as he watched the girl. “The two people I lived with had, at some point, become shells of their former selves. I didn’t know them anymore and I started to realize that they didn’t know me either. Coming to accept that wasn’t easy, but seeing the monster under the bed as a stranger is easier for a kid to handle. As days and nights passed and blended together things got worse. The screaming matches at each other turned into tag team matches against me instead. I was told it was my fault we were poor, it was my fault they hated each other, that things would be better if I hadn’t been born. I lost count of the number of times I was told I was a mistake. I let this happen for a few more years. A day came where my mom, riding some kind of high, started yelling. I tuned her out, something I commonly did by that point. Usually she didn’t notice, but I guess this time she did. She asked if I was listening and I said yes. She called me a liar and slapped me across the face. That was the day I finally had enough. That slap was the final straw. That night, while Mom was out earning money and Dad was staring at a wall I slipped out with only my shoes and the clothes I was wearing and I never went back. ”

“That sounds… Hard.” After being quiet for so long Prime had finally spoke. When she looked up at the clone that he was occupying he wore a sympathetic expression, catching her off guard. Out of anyone, she didn’t expect to find sympathy from him. Then again, she hadn’t expected him to be the first person she really opened up to in depth about those days. 

“I was fifteen when I left.” She said. “If I’m being honest, it was scary at first. I didn’t sleep for days for fear of what might happen when I did, and honestly it was hard finding comfortable places to sleep at first. Concrete doesn’t make for the best mattress. Unfortunately alleys and the sidewalks of side streets become your only options when the government decides the homeless are too unsightly to be allowed to sleep in grassy parks or on benches along the main streets. They call us transients for a reason, and the reason is because we are not allowed to stay anywhere for long periods of time. Those in positions of authority do not like to see the walking reminders of the failed system they dedicate their lives to upholding.” 

Versia felt something in the clone’s arm twitch after she spoke. She looked to his face to notice an expression of frustration just before he realized he was being looked at. As her pulse spiked for a moment, the girl chose not to question Horde Prime. Instead she turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

“I picked up odd jobs where I could, picking up trash, scrap metal, turning in soda and beer cans.” She sighed. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford a place of my own. At least, not by any legal means. I refused to lower myself to selling drugs or my body, so I made do with what I had. The money wasn’t great, but it was enough to usually buy some cheap street food. Eventually, I realized it was also enough to buy alcohol here and there. Once in awhile as a treat, I told myself. Something to take the edge off. Slowly though, something to take the edge off became more important to me than food. I realized I didn’t feel hungry when I was drunk. If I didn’t feel the hunger, it must’ve meant I wasn’t hungry. My priorities flipped and instead of thinking I’d buy food first and a drink if I could afford it I would buy alcohol and then food if I had enough left over. I was disgusted with myself when I realized I was now on a first name basis with the bartender. I was disgusted when I realized how much like my parents I was really becoming. Alcohol has a funny way of making you feel better about the disgusting parts of yourself though, so I decided more drinking was the cure. It wasn’t the healthiest decision I could’ve made, sure, but what other ways had I really learned to cope with things?”

She laughed, catching Prime off guard. 

“Honestly, I never in a million years would have predicted it would be some kind of blood disease coming for my life before my liver.” The laugh continued for a moment, but there was a sadness to her eyes. “Then again, I didn’t see my parents becoming strangers either. Life is… Full of surprises.” 

“It truly is.” Horde Prime said softly. Versia looked up to him, a look of confusion across her soft blue eyes. He noticed the subtle watering that was threatening to overflow at the corners of her lids. He didn’t acknowledge it out loud, however.

“Life surprises you too?” She asked. She wondered what could possibly surprise a galactic emperor. 

“Yes.” He nodded. “I was quite surprised the day I met you. Even more so when Seres proposed that of all things you could be the answer to our problem of defective clones. I’ve been surprised at the progress we’ve seen in the experiments. Life surprises all at times, even someone as powerful as myself.”

A small smile crossed Versia’s faintly pink lips. 

“I think I’m ready to return to my room now.” She said. Between the walk and the expression of vulnerability she had just showed, the blond now felt quite tired. 

“Alright, let’s get you back then shall we?” Prime said, beginning to turn back to the direction they had come from. Versia nodded silently in response and followed, holding on gently to the clone’s arm as Prime guided her back to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE: This story uses the R*pe/Non-con archive warning for a reason. That reason is NOT in this chapter, but will be in an upcoming chapter. When that chapter happens I will have a TW in the notes at the beginning of the chapter and a non-graphic summary of the chapter in the notes at the end for those who do not wish to read the graphic content that chapter will contain. 
> 
> NOTICE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the delay between these chapters. I mentioned it in the comments, though for those who don't read them I thought I should give some explanation. Back at the end of August I was in a car accident that completely totaled my and my partner's car. We were physically okay, but this along with the other one after the other events of this year (including my PC's storage drive failing on me the day after the accident. That was fun.) left me in a bit of a state with my mental health. This chapter is the first creative thing I've managed to finish since August. I am deeply sorry it took so long to come out, but I sincerely hope it was worth the wait.

That night Versia sat silently in her window sill as the familiar city below began to slip away. Eventually she could no longer see the streets she once roamed. The lights became specks that eventually became indistinguishable from the stars that began to surround the ship. As she watched the only world she had ever known disappear into the darkness of space, FS-52 watched her. He too was silent as he monitored the girl’s vitals with his stare. An elevated heart rate told him what he wondered without asking. Though she had grown used to the walls of the ship, Versia was nervous. The reality that everything she had known was really gone for her now sank into the depths of her midsection. Knowing that she could no longer back out even if she wanted to, knowing that everyday for her foreseeable future would be dictated by Horde Prime, these facts not-so-secretly terrified the girl. Still, she wore a cool and collected front the best she could. She knew this was what she needed if she hoped to see future days. 

After the departure from Carthanium, days and nights blurred even worse than they had before. If not for the clock that hung on the far side of her room, Versia would have no sense of time. She requested the clock be kept to the local time of Neopraxa when the rest of the clocks on the ship were changed to a time she struggled to understand. Though the request had seemed strange to Seres and Prime, Versia explained it was to help her keep a healthy schedule for sleeping and eating. She told them that without it, she was scared she would not go about her daily functions at proper times and that she worried how it may impact her already decaying health. Satisfied with this explanation, the men allowed the request. In the coming weeks Versia became even more grateful for this as her symptoms began to progress. She vomited at least once a day now. A heavy fatigue made her spend less time walking the halls of the ship or her room and more time in her bed. 

On days like today, where she had the energy to bathe, her private showers had become a thing of the past. Now, instead of standing on the far side of the room with his eyes covered, FS-52 sat just outside of the bathtub with his full attention on the girl. It had been uncomfortable at first. Versia hated the feeling of being so exposed around anyone. Soon though, she adjusted to the change. The awkward discomfort turned to a feeling of appreciation, especially on days where she did not have the strength to wash her own hair. FS-52 was always there to offer his assistance to the girl whenever she needed it, even if that assistance came in the form of lathering shampoo through her golden locks. As the clone poured water over the girl’s hair, she recalled how nervous and reluctant she had felt about him when they first met. She never would have guessed how much help he would be, or how much comfort his company would bring her in such a short time. 

After she had finished bathing Versia stood wrapped in a towel in front of the mirror as FS-52 ran a white brush through her hair. Her face twitched when he would hit the occasional knot. Thankfully he was always gentle when he brushed her hair. When she thought about it, Versia realized that in general the clone was gentle in the way he handled her. When he was helping her in and out of bed his grip was firm and supportive, but there was something so soft and careful about the action. Something about the clone’s carefulness when it came to touching her brought Versia a lot of comfort. Despite her worsening condition, she slept easier knowing he was by her side.

As FS-52 helped the girl to settle into her bed once again the two turned their heads to the sound of the door opening. As Versia assumed, it was Seres who entered the room. The man nodded his head briefly at the two. 

“Good morning.” He said. “How are we feeling today?”

“I haven’t thrown up yet.” Versia smiled halfheartedly. “I also had the energy for a bath. FS-52 had to help with my hair, though.” 

“Well, we can celebrate the small things I suppose.” Seres smiled. “I have some news I think you’ll be quite happy to hear, though.”

“Oh?” Her voice pitched as she raised her eyebrows. “What is it?”

“If all continues as planned, we should be seeing the beginning of live trials within the week.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened and the two men noted her spiking pulse as they watched her face contort to a blend of joy and nervousness. Of course, they understood the mix of emotions she experienced. The live trials, while they could be an amazing breakthrough for both Versia and Prime, they could also be the beginning of the end for the girl. Despite the extensive testing Seres had done, despite how good the odds were, he knew that this was not guaranteed to work. 

“Yes.” Seres nodded. “If the samples in the lab remain stable for the next few days, I will be confident in moving forward with the next stage.”

“I’m really glad to hear that.” Versia smiled. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He nodded once more before turning to FS-52. “That’s the only business I have here for now. Let me know if anything changes with her condition throughout the day.” 

“Yes sir.” The clone nodded quickly.

With that, Seres left the room leaving the two alone once again. A quietness lingered between them for several moments as Versia’s thoughts raced. She was doing her best to think positively, though she could not seem to silence the doubts that hung ominously around her mind. 

“How are you feeling?” The clone asked as he turned back towards the girl. 

“Nervous.” The admission fell from her mouth without hesitation. 

A hand ran through the hair on the right side of her face.

“Have faith, child.” Suddenly, a cold shiver ran through Versia’s core. Her gaze shot to the man who stood beside her. The piercing glow from his eyes told her it was not FS-52 who had asked how she was feeling. The sudden visitor let out a chuckle upon seeing her expression.

“My apologies.” He smiled. “I did not mean to startle you. I only meant to check in on how you took the news.” 

She swallowed hard as she attempted to collect herself once more from the surprise that had made her stomach no longer settled. Her efforts, however, were quickly failing. 

“Bathroom.” She knew she couldn’t give him a proper response in this condition.   
“What? Oh-” Prime quickly realized what was going on and rushed to help the girl out of her bed. 

As soon as her feet touched the floor, Versia used what strength she had to quickly stumble past the man occupying her companion’s body to the bathroom. He followed to see the girl leaned weakly over the toilet. With a soft sigh and some hesitation, Prime approached her to hold blond freshly washed hair away from her face. As the contents of her insides emptied into the bowl he watched closely, his eyes widening some at the sight. 

“I’m sorry.” The girl choked out when she finally caught a pause. 

“No, I didn’t know you would be so surprised.” Prime sighed, shaking his head slightly. His eyes returned quickly to the mix of blood and other fluids that occupied the water below. Of course, he knew she was getting worse. Seeing her state up close, however, brought the reality to life. Brought memories of a once great general to the front of his mind. He remained quiet as red and green flashes passed through his memory. How long had it been since then? 

“I didn’t know either.” Versia’s voice choked through, interrupting the thoughts of the man who stood next to her. It had only been a few seconds, yet somehow when those thoughts arose Prime felt as if things had been silent for hours. 

“Let’s… Get you back to bed. If you’re ready, that is.” Versia noticed something in his tone but she didn’t dare mention it. Instead she pushed shakily for her legs to support her body as she attempted to stand. Thankfully Prime provided an arm to assist her and reached to flush the unfortunate sight so she would not have to. When they returned to her bedside, to Versia’s surprise, Prime helped the girl to climb back into her bed.

“Thank you.” She said softly. Prime nodded, silently acknowledging her gratitude. 

“So, you’re nervous?” He asked. 

Versia nodded.

“I… Understand.” The man said, looking away from her for a moment. “Even with the high likelihood of success, one’s life is a high price to pay for failure.”

“Yeah.” She said softly. “Don’t get me wrong though! I have a lot of faith in Seres’ abilities. He seems very intelligent. I’m sure he wouldn’t hold such high honor with you if he wasn't.”

Prime laughed some, a sound that surprised Versia. When he didn’t say anything to follow it, she continued.

“Despite that faith though, there’s still this feeling inside me.” She pulled a hand to her chest, looking down at her blanketed lap. “I just can’t let go of that small chance that this might all be for nothing.”

“No result of this experiment would be for nothing, child.” Prime reached the clone’s hand to stroke Versia’s blond hair once. “Should it fail, yes, you will likely perish. Consider though, that you would have met that same fate even without these experiments.”

He wasn’t wrong. She felt a deep unease at the words as they slid intently from between his lips, but she knew he was right.

“This way, even if you die, you will have done something with your life.” The man smiled as she looked up to him, her stormy blue eyes threatening to rain. “You will have served a purpose. You will have provided us with infinitely valuable research. Provided something to the empire of Horde Prime. That alone would give your life — and your death — meaning.”

For some reason Versia could not explain, Prime’s words caused her a feeling she had never felt. She could not describe it with comparisons to emotions she knew. It felt like someone had cracked a glow stick inside of her, the feeling spread from her chest to her toes. It spread to her eyes too, the rains finally coming to pour from them as she looked away from the man. 

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked weakly as she wiped at the tears that fell from her face. 

“I understand.” Prime said, lifting his clone’s hand to her head once more. “You have faith, but you have fears too. You’re at war with yourself. Faith and fear, fighting for supremacy in your bones. It’s a battle you have little say in, as you know that what may be your saving grace or the very thing that ends you is out of your control. You know that live or die is not up to you, and that fact makes it so much harder. No matter what happens though, you will have done something. Let faith in, child. Let faith win.”

“I’m trying.” She said, the hand continuing to rub her head gently. “I’m trying so hard.”

“So long as you’re trying, faith is winning.” 

His words were the last thing Versia heard before all went dark around her. 

She didn’t know what happened, how long she was out for. Intermittently, she could hear voices around her and even felt someone touch her a few times. She didn’t know if the sounds and feelings were real or not. Seres, Prime, and even FS-52 spoke around her, though never to her. 

“She’s getting weaker by the day.” Seres’ voice broke through the dark silence at one point. She felt weaker. His voice was muffled. The touches near her wrist and elbow often felt as if they were through a veil. After all of those words of comfort Prime had given her, would this be how she went? Would she perish before they could even start the live trials of the experiment they were so close to now? Surrounded by the emptiness, she had so much time for these thoughts. Too much time. She hoped she would wake up, just to have anything else. To no longer be this alone. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————

“Can we begin with her like this?” Prime asked. 

“In theory.” Seres said, his voice hesitant. “Without the ability to receive feedback we’ll be taking more of a blind shot on her condition. We’ll only have her vitals to go off of, though, and as her blood becomes blended with yours even that will be less reliable. We only know what the normal for her own blood is. When we begin the transfusions, there is no telling what it will do to her vitals for sure. We’ll be in uncharted waters.”

“But if we don’t start, she may not wake up at all.” Prime sighed. “Is there at least a chance she could wake up shortly after the transfusions begin?”

“Yes.” Seres said. “Again, in theory.” 

“All in theory…” Prime was growing more frustrated. “Give her one more day. We start tomorrow, regardless of her status.” 

“Yes sir.” There was a tone to Seres’ voice, but Versia was too tired to place a finger on it. The silence swallowed her completely once again, drifting her off in the sea of thoughts where she would once again be alone waiting to see if the voices would once again break through to her. They did, here and there. From that point on, however, they were always through a thick veil. Versia could hear that the men were speaking, though she could not make out what was said. How long things stayed this way, she could not say. It may have been hours, days, or even weeks. Her sense of time was lost in this state. Her sense of just about everything was gone. Was she even really still alive? The endless pounding sound of her own heartbeat told her the most likely answer, but who was she to say that the sounds she heard weren’t just some postmortem auditory hallucination? 

At some point, through the fog that clouded the confines of her conscious, she remembered the conversation she heard between Seres and Horde Prime. Prime’s command that they would begin the transfusions the next day regardless of whether she awoke. She wondered if it had happened yet. She didn’t feel anything, but when was the last time she did? For all she knew, Prime’s blood may or may not have been pumping through her veins as she lay in the vast silence of her own mind. For all she knew as she sat there buried in the dark his alien DNA may have been rewriting the code inside her own body, trying to eat away and destroy a disease even she did not know she had only a few weeks before. The thought stirred the mixed feelings deep inside her once more, the fear and faith fighting once again. The fighting of those feelings… It made her so tired every time. The silence consumed her once more as she succumbed to the internal exhaustion of her own feelings. This time though, perhaps the emptiness came as a needed relief. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————

When the fog cleared this time, things were different. This time, she could see. The discovery startled and comforted the girl all at once. Her eyes were open. She could see the wall in front of her past the end of her bed. Someone was to her left. She ~~turned~~ tried to turn her head to see who it was. The muscles in her neck did not obey the command. 

“Versia?” Seres’ voice was no longer shrouded behind a fog. “Are you awake?”

~~“How long was I out?”~~ Her mouth would not move to form words she wanted to speak. 

The man leaned over, inspecting her face closely before he left her line of sight once more. 

“The signals here say you’re awake and based on the patterns I’m guessing you can hear me, but for some reason you can’t respond.” He said. She heard him fidgeting with something off to her left. “If that’s the case, I need you to listen. A few days ago, Prime made the decision to begin transfusions with you unconscious. You’ve received two transfusions so far. We were stuck in a rock and a hard place. I hoped you would wake up, but as days passed we weren’t sure you would. You’ve been unconscious for over a week.”

The length of time she had been unconscious surprised her in both directions. On one hand, she was surprised it was that long. On the other, she was stunned to hear it hadn’t been months. She wasn’t sure which surprised her more. 

“I wish you could respond.” Seres sighed, interrupting her thoughts. “Though, I’ll take the victories where I can, and I would certainly call you being awake at all a victory right now.”

He went to work noting her vitals in silence. Versia wanted to beg him to say more. Beg him to keep her thoughts interrupted, keep the dark from creeping in again. 

“Are you okay?” Seres looked to the girl, a concerned expression crossing his face. He sighed once more. “Right. You can’t answer that. Your heart rate spiked suddenly.”

When she heard his voice, the pounding in her chest began to slow once more to a gentle thump. Seres raised a brow as he noticed the phenomenon. 

“What… Did you see while you were unconscious?” He knew she couldn’t answer. More now than at any point in this one sided conversation he wished that she could. The curiosity could have killed him as he stared at her for several seconds before continuing his work. 

“FS-52.” He called for the clone. Versia heard his footsteps approach her bedside.

“Yes sir?” The ever obedient clone responded. 

“I’m done here for now. She’s awake now, but she can’t respond to stimuli physically or verbally.” Seres said. “If you notice her pulse spiking again, I want you to start speaking to her. Tell her a story, say something comforting, anything you know Lord Prime would approve of. Report the results of this to me during our next check in, and as always if something becomes drastically wrong contact me immediately.”

“Yes sir. Absolutely.” FS-52 nodded. Seres turned, exiting the room and leaving the two alone. Things were quiet for several minutes, silence hanging suspended between them.

“I’m really glad to see you awake again.” FS-52 said. His smile, which Versia could see from the edge of her vision, was warm and gentle. Even if she couldn’t communicate or express it to the clone, she was glad to be awake too.


End file.
